Book Review - House to House by David Bellavia

House to House: An Epic Memoir of War by David Bellavia
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4 of 5 stars)

You should read this if: You enjoyed Black Hawk Down and are familiar with military terms.

You should not read this if: Macho masculinity and mild glorification of war is repulsive to you.

House to House is the book version of Black Hawk Down - character development, moral takeaways, and overarching storytelling is secondary to non-stop, realistic action. As a non-military reader, much of the lingo and cultural assumptions went over my head, as the author didn't stop to describe what a "Bradley" or "SAW" were, but I'm sure that this won't trip up most readers.

The attitudes, macho masculinity, and politically incorrect speech / slurs will certainly be offputting to many people (people who are less likely to read this book in the first place), but it's important to remember that this is a memoir and our soldiers simply experience a different life than most of us. Rather than expect the book to discuss the validity of the Iraq war or have more meta reflections of the terribleness of war, the book is a lot more enjoyable and insightful reader as an honest portrayal of war and the men who wage it. It's ugly through and through - from the violence and physical destruction to the inward trauma, racism, and hatred to the collapsing family lives.

This book was a 3-star book for the majority of it. I personally did not prefer the "drop into war zone" feel, with little context to the situation or characters. However, the last couple of chapters linger and will stay with me. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

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